first let me say that I highly admire you and like you, your wit is a real gift.

Im an educational psychologist and lecture teens about HIV and other sexual issues.

you mentioned in one of your answers that there were "wimpy" and more "agrsiive" strains of HIV, I generally know that HIV1 is less agressive than HIV2, but I wish you could elaborate on that,the diference on strains, as some teens are asking questions on this respect, and I need to be highly informed in any question I answer, as I dont want to disinform.

I highly apreciate your response, as my next talk is due next week.

regards, counselor Alejandro , from Mexico.

Response from Dr. Frascino

Hello Alejandro,

A thorough discussion of this topic is beyond the scope of this forum. However, you can find additional details on this topic by reviewing the archives and related links. The basic message is that HIV transmission, as well as the rate of HIV disease progression, depends on many different variables, including viral factors (different viral strains and subtypes, for instance) and host immune factors (the strength and effectiveness of a particular person's immune system). Regarding viral factors for example, different viral strains can utilize different mechanisms to infect and/or destroy CD4 cells.

I should also clear up one other point from your post. HIV-2 is less transmissible (0.5- to 8-fold less efficient than HIV-1) and is associated with lower viral loads and slower rates of CD4 cell decline as well as slower rates of clinical progression. Consequently, HIV-2 would be considered less aggressive than HIV-1.

This forum is designed for educational purposes only, and experts are not rendering medical, mental health, legal or other professional advice or services. If you have or suspect you may have a medical, mental health, legal or other problem that requires advice, consult your own caregiver, attorney or other qualified professional.

Experts appearing on this page are independent and are solely responsible for editing and fact-checking their material. Neither TheBody.com nor any advertiser is the publisher or speaker of posted visitors' questions or the experts' material.

The Body is a service of Remedy Health Media, LLC, 750 3rd Avenue, 6th Floor, New York, NY 10017. The Body and its logos are trademarks of Remedy Health Media, LLC, and its subsidiaries, which owns the copyright of The Body's homepage, topic pages, page designs and HTML code. General Disclaimer: The Body is designed for educational purposes only and is not engaged in rendering medical advice or professional services. The information provided through The Body should not be used for diagnosing or treating a health problem or a disease. It is not a substitute for professional care. If you have or suspect you may have a health problem, consult your health care provider.